


Unfinished Mikannie stories.

by RyuRaven



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-09 05:26:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5527697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RyuRaven/pseuds/RyuRaven
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I put these here when I thought I wouldn't come back, so these are all unfinished stories. But I hope you enjoy them all the same. Two nsfw.</p><p>If I end up finishing one of these, I'll delete it here and post the full story in a nice and new shiny suit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. You can dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Highschool au. NSFW  
> Mikasa and Annie are working on homework in Mikasa's room, and Mikasa finds out Annie can dance. Things escalate quickly.

Mikasa and Annie were paired together for a group work, and they were currently working on it at Mikasa’s place, a song playing in the background. They were making decent progress when someone knocked on the door. Carla opened the door, saying, “Mikasa, can you come help me out with the groceries?”

“I’m making homework, can’t you ask Eren?”

“He is at Armin’s, you’re the only one I can ask.”

“Fine.” She groaned. “I’ll be back in five minutes or so, take a break.” She said to Annie as she left the room.

Annie leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment. She had been so happy when they had to work together, grateful for every single minute they spent together. She had thought about asking Mikasa out on a date, but everyone who knew her said she liked Eren. She had once overheard Jean talking to him and Armin, and both boys denied it. Every sign led to believe Mikasa did like Eren, but Armin’s usual good insight kept her hopes up. Still, even if she didn’t like Eren, it didn’t mean she was gay.

Annie sighed, rubbing her face. Thinking about this wasn’t going to help her. She stood up, loosening her muscles after sitting so long. She didn’t know which playlist Mikasa had running, but when the song switched for one of her favorites, she smiled.

While she hadn’t been to any dance classes for several years, she still loved dancing, and she wasn’t about to pass the chance to do so on this song. It didn’t take long before it got too warm and she tossed her hoodie to the side. She put all her power in her moves, knowing no better way to relieve herself of the stress of making homework.

The moves came naturally to her, perfectly in sync with the song she knew so well. She lifted her arms over her head, turning with a quick shifting of her feet, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Mikasa stood in the door opening, staring at her with slightly flustered cheeks. Annie dropped her arms and sat back down, returning her attention to their homework. The reason she quit dance school was because she didn’t like people watching her as she danced. “Good, you’re back, let’s finish this up.” She said, hoping Mikasa wouldn’t say anything about it.

“Yeah…” Mikasa said distractedly as she sat down on her spot. Annie glanced at her, really, what had she been thinking? How could she start dancing in the room of her crush and not expect her to walk in on it. Just then Mikasa glanced up, locking eyes with Annie for a brief moment. Annie returned her gaze to her paper, mentioning something they could do with a particular question, but truly her mind was elsewhere.

That was no ordinary glance. The way Mikasa looked at her in that split second was unlike any expression she had ever seen on the taller girl’s face. No, even before that, when she came back to her room. It wasn’t normal to blush even when you weren’t expecting to see someone dancing in your room.

Annie squeezed her eyes shut, she was getting her hopes up again, and she really couldn’t be doing that. When Mikasa spoke she opened her eyes, returning her focus fully on their project. An hour passed, and they finally finished. They tucked everything away and Annie stretched her arms over her head.

“I didn’t know you could dance.”

“Yeah… I normally don’t dance when there are people around to see it.”

“Why not? You’re really good.”

Annie pulled her knees up, hugging them. “I just don’t like people staring at me.”

“Not even if it’s just me?” Mikasa asked.

“What?” Annie almost panicked. Had someone told Mikasa she liked her? Wait, that didn’t make sense, she never told anyone she liked her. Who would even know it to begin with?

“Please, just a little?” hearing her speak those words was nearly enough to make her give in, but she shook her head. “Oh, come on.” Mikasa said sweetly and clicked something on her laptop, and the song Annie had danced to started playing again. She stood up and stretched her hand out to the blonde. “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“Fine.” Annie sighed, taking her hand. She could only resist her for so long. “Just don’t stare too much.” She muttered, not feeling the itch to dance with eyes on her. She took a deep breath and focused on the music, allowing the beat to take control over her body.

The song was nearly at its end when Mikasa walked towards her. Annie stopped dancing, brows furrowing in confusion. Before she could say anything however, Mikasa’s lips met hers, hands cupping her cheeks.

Annie froze, eyes wide with shock. Out of all things, she never expected Mikasa to kiss her. When she started to pull back, Annie reached a hand up to the back of Mikasa’s head, moving her lips to kiss her more deeply. Mikasa moaned, sliding her hands down over Annie’s chest and towards her butt. Annie gasped when she squeezed, desire building up inside her.

She pushed Mikasa onto the bed, wasting no time to climb on top of her and kiss her again. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of her shirt, a shiver going up her spine when the other girl’s hands snuck underneath her top. She sucked on Mikasa’s bottom lip and tilted her head to nip at her jaw.

“Annie.” Mikasa whined, voice thick with want. Annie hummed, sliding her body over Mikasa’s before sitting up and pulling her top off. Mikasa’s hands found her hips and she sat up, nibbling at Annie’s collarbone, while Annie took the chance to take off her shirt. She unclasped her bra and pushed her back down, trailing kisses down her throat.

Mikasa dug her fingers in her shoulders and released a moan as Annie sucked on the supple skin. She cupped Mikasa’s breasts and continued to kiss her way down. She lifted her head when Mikasa’s panting became silent, seeing the girl bite her lip, eyes squeezed shut and dark locks sticking to her flushed face.

Annie growled and roughly kneaded her breasts, leaning up to brush her lips with hot breath when no sound came. Mikasa looked at her through lidded eyes and Annie lightly shook her head. “I want to hear you.” Mikasa squirmed beneath her, pressing her lips together and averting her gaze shyly. Annie leaned down, letting her breath brush past a pink ear and whispered huskily, “Mikasa. Let me hear your voice.” She gently bit in her earlobe, humming approvingly when an aroused sound escaped Mikasa’s lips.

She slowly returned to where she left of, trailing her path with her tongue. She replaced her right hand with her mouth, lapping circles around Mikasa’s nipple while sliding her hand down over her toned abdomen. She moaned again when Annie sucked on it, hips lifting from the bed for a moment. Annie unbuckled her pants and slid her hand further down, teasing the wet spot on Mikasa’s underwear.

Mikasa’s moans grew louder, and Annie felt herself getting wet as well. Mikasa’s hips jerked in response to her ministrations, and her heart skipped a beat when the girl below her breathed, “Just take them off.”


	2. You can dance?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of sad, I guess.

It was one of the rare days the trainees of the 104th had a day off, so Mikasa wasn’t that surprised when she didn’t see Eren or Armin in the mess hall that morning. What did surprise her was the fact that there weren’t any guys at all. They had been training long enough so that their sleeping schedule had adjusted itself to the training. Being unable to stay up late because you’re too tired, and waking early due to habit.

On the days off there always were some who slept longer, but the majority still got up like usual. She saw the other girls look around in confusion as well. Feeling unsettled by their absence, Mikasa sat down next to Sasha. She was halfway through her breakfast when the door opened and boys started coming in, wearing their uniform. Armin and Eren sat down across from her.

“What happened?” Mikasa asked.

“Well, Shadis happened to enter our dorm this morning.” Armin started. “Someone had taken everyone’s blanket’s off during the night and placed them in front of the door. And since no one seemed to know who did it, we now all have training as punishment.”

“What? Why don’t they just confess, that way the rest can still enjoy the day off.” Mikasa said.

“Honestly I have no clue who did it. It’s summer so I guess it’s normal no one noticed their blankets being taken. Connie said he didn’t do it.” Mikasa frowned. “But you still have the day off, it’s just the guys.” Armin added, trying to lift the mood.

An hour later, the boys were running laps, a majority of the girls watching them. Mikasa didn’t feel like joining them. She doubted Eren would get himself in trouble when he was already being punished. She leaned against a building, pondering on how she could spend her day. Sasha ran up to her.

“Hey, Mikasa! Do you want to help me sneak into the kitchen?”

Mikasa raised her eyebrows at the girl’s beaming face. “I’m not that eager to join the boys today. You’re gonna have to do it on your own.”

Sasha pouted, walking towards Annie. Mikasa watched as the blonde turned her down even faster, and headed for the forest afterwards. Sasha continued looking for accomplices, while Ymir dragged Krista to the dormitory.

She sighed. Now that she finally had some time truly by herself, she had no clue how to spend it. She glanced at the forest Annie disappeared into. She was always by herself. Perhaps they could pass some time together. She pushed herself away from the wall, hoping to track the blonde down.

She found her sitting on a rock at the edge of a clearing. Countless flowers waved in the wind. Mikasa had seen it before, but only during 3dmg training. The rock Annie sat on was rather big, leaving enough place for Mikasa to sit next to her. But unless the blonde moved, their arms would touch.

Annie wore her hood, but Mikasa was sure she knew she was there, because she turned her head a little. Mikasa sat down, but to her surprise Annie didn’t move. She couldn’t see the blonde’s face, as what little bit wasn’t covered by her hood, was hidden by her bangs.

For a long time they watched the bees buzz about in silence. Mikasa noticed Annie leaning onto her, shaking lightly. At first she thought she was cold, with the way she sat hunched over, hands in her hoodie pocket. But then she noticed a drop falling onto the girl’s lap. She was crying.

Without thinking about it, she moved her arm, draping it over Annie’s shoulders. The blonde visibly froze at the action. Mikasa stroked her arm with her thumb, and soon she found Annie leaning into the touch.

Annie grabbed onto her shirt as tears soaked into it, her sobs as silent as before.


	3. A change of fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Canonverse

Mikasa sighed as she walked towards the watering hole. This chore was such a drag, and this time, she had to do it together with Annie.

It had been a few weeks since she first noticed the blonde was always staring at her whenever she happened to look in her direction. At first she thought it was just a rivalry thing, and she didn’t care much for it. But even now the girl kept throwing glances at her, although there was no reason to.

As they finished their chore and headed back to the dorm they walked side by side. Annie had her hands in her pocket, nudging her head in Mikasa’s direction ever so slightly. She was definitely looking again.

Mikasa stopped, and after a few steps Annie stopped too, looking over her shoulder. This was not the usual Annie. Normally she would just walk on, not even bothering to spare a glance.

“Annie.” Mikasa closed the distance between them. “What is it?”

“What is what?” Annie replied in her usual tone.

“You’ve been looking at me a lot lately. Why?”

“Do I need a reason?” She returned her gaze to her front.

“I just wondered if something was bothering you.”

“Don’t play all nice with me. We’re not even friends.” She said and continued her way to the dorm.

After that Mikasa noted she didn’t catch her staring again. For two days at least. Apparently that was the length Annie could keep herself from staring. A week passed, and on one of the rare breaks during training Mikasa sought her out. And as she expected, the blonde had her eyes on her from the start.

“Having trouble keeping your eyes of me?” she asked.

“Get lost.” Annie looked away in an attempt to hide her blush behind her bangs.

“Why should I get lost? If you like looking at me that much, wouldn’t it be easier if I was with you?” Mikasa tried a different approach.

Annie visibly froze. “… training is starting.”

With that said, she joined the other trainees. Mikasa didn’t see her staring for the rest of the day.

A few more days passed, and Armin spoke up during dinner. “Mikasa, Annie’s been staring at you all day, did something happen?”

Mikasa sighed. “Not that I know.” He nodded and turned to Eren instead, talking about training. Mikasa looked over her shoulder, and sure enough the blonde was staring at her. Only when she raised her eyebrows as if saying “really?” did she look away. Mikasa returned to her plate, and decided it was enough. She would find out why Annie kept staring at her. Today.

The bell rang, announcing that it was time to retreat to the dorms. She said goodnight to Eren and Armin, then sought Annie out. “Annie. Do you have a moment?”

“Sure.” The blonde shrugged, following her to the side of their dorm so they could talk privately.

Mikasa crossed her arms and looked at Annie. “Could you finally tell me what’s so fascinating about me? Others are staring to notice it too, and it’s quite annoying to have you staring at me all the time.”

Annie sighed, crossing her arms. “Maybe I just like your face. Anyway, I’m leaving.” She turned, and Mikasa quickly planted her hand on the wall, blocking her path. When Annie tried to get away at the other side, she put her other hand to the wall as well. The blonde squinted her eyes shut and cursed under her breath before looking up at Mikasa.

“You must like my face quite a lot for that to be the only reason.”

“And what if that really is the only reason?” There was a tone to her voice Mikasa had never heard from her before, almost fearful.

“What do you mean?”

Annie sighed frustrated. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just here to train, then go do my job and you won’t ever have to see me again.”

Mikasa lowered her arms and looked at the shorter girl. “You don’t look very enthusiastic about it.”

“Do I have to?”

“You should at least try to do something just for fun every once in a while.”

Annie stared into Mikasa’s eyes before lowering her gaze a little. “Don’t tempt me.” She said as she squeezed her eyes shut. Before Mikasa could react, she had left, joining the rest of the girls in the dorm.

“You don’t make any sense at all.” Mikasa muttered to herself, staying outside a little longer while, pondering over their conversation.

It was utterly quiet in the dorm, save for a few soft snores. The daily training left them exhausted by the time they retired for the day, making falling asleep an easy task. There barely was any light, but for someone who knew the room well, with eyes adjusted to the darkness, it proved no problem.

Annie laid awake upon her bed, her mind going over her encounter with Mikasa countless of times. “Don’t tempt me.” She had said, but tempted was exactly what she was right now. Tempted to sneak between the many bunks to Mikasa’s and… she squeezed her eyes shut, she shouldn’t be thinking about that, she couldn’t. She had a mission. She could not allow anything to come between her and her goal. Besides, Mikasa would hate her if she found out.

 _If she’s going to hate me anyway…_ by the time her sleepy mind caught up to her actions, she had already sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. She knew what she was going to do, her heartbeat speeding up in response. She shouldn’t, she should just lie back down.

She rose to her legs, silently making her way through the bunks. There she was, sleeping soundly on her side, a hand wrapped around the end of her scarf. Annie crouched, simply staring at the beauty before her for a few minutes. She wanted to touch her so badly. So much her chest hurt. But she couldn’t. She’d wake her up.

Her hands betrayed her, gently touching the skin of Mikasa’s uncovered hand. Her mouth moved a little, but no sound came out. Annie leaned closer, reaching with one of her hands to stroke her hair out of her beautiful face. She was so close to doing the one thing she knew she shouldn’t, the one thing keeping her up for the past few hours. She could feel Mikasa’s shallow breath brush over her lips, and a voice in the back of her head shouted at her, telling her to get back to her own bed.

The hand below hers shifted and she froze. Mikasa was now holding onto her instead of the scarf, and a whisper left her lips, “Annie… look … me…” a moment passed, but she showed no sign of actually waking up, and Annie felt her heart warm at the knowledge she was dreaming of her. A sigh was the final push and Annie couldn’t hold herself back anymore. She placed a light kiss on Mikasa’s lips, lingering for a moment.

The hand around hers tightened, and before she had the chance to panic, Mikasa returned the kiss. It was slow and short, but it left her hot and wanting for more.


	4. Amnesia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Annie breaks free from the crystal, but her memory is completely gone.

Hanji’s ecstatic shouts were enough to know what was going on as Mikasa followed the rest of her squad through the dungeon. The steam coming from the room they headed towards only confirmed her suspicion. They entered the room and saw Annie sitting amidst ropes and pieces of the crystal, which were slowly evaporating.

“Don’t draw your weapons!” Hanji said, holding their hands up. They approached Annie and spoke in a soft voice, “Hi there, Annie. How are you feeling?”

Annie raised her head, looking at Hanji with a sleepy gaze. “Who’s Annie?”

Hanji furrowed their brows. “You are Annie. Annie Leonhardt, the female titan.”

“What’s a titan?” those words left everyone in the room confused. “Who are you? Where am I?” Annie started to look around. “Who are all of you people?”

“You don’t know? You don’t remember?”

“I…” Annie paused. “I remember nothing.”

Hanji stood up hands covering their face as they groaned. “This can’t be! Why did she have to forget everything?”

“Hanji!” Mikasa stepped forward. “She could be lying.” She kneeled in front of Annie and glared at her, but instead of meeting the challenge, Annie quickly averted her eyes.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what I did for you to be this angry with me, but I’m sorry.”

“Look at me.” Mikasa ordered. Annie obeyed, curling to a ball as she met Mikasa’s glare. “Do you really not know who I am?” Annie shook her head. Mikasa sighed and softened her gaze, the Annie she knew would never act this weak. “Is there absolutely nothing you know about me?”

Annie shifted uncomfortably. “Um… you’re pretty.” She muttered, barely loud enough for Mikasa to hear.

“What?” she stared at the faint blush on Annie’s cheeks for a moment, then stood up and spoke to Hanji, “Eren has lost his memory about his transformation before. I think something similar must’ve happened to her.”

Hanji nodded. “Alright then, we’ll take her outside and see what happens.” Everyone tensed at their words, but they just smiled and helped Annie to her feet, leading her the way out. Mikasa fell into step next to her, observing how she acted. Annie’s hands weren’t bound, and her ring was still on her finger. As they came out to the level floor, they entered the room where Eren and Levi were waiting. Naturally, they were surprised to see Annie freely walk with them.

“Hanji. What is the meaning of this?” Levi demanded.

“Well, it seems like she lost her memory.” They turned their attention to Eren. “Come Eren, let’s go outside.”

“Huh? Um, sure.” He said, confused as to what was going on. Mikasa still kept close watch over Annie, but the girl barely even looked at Eren. Rather than that, she gazed up at the blue sky, a soft smile on her lips. They had arrived at the center of the courtyard, and Eren finally spoke up. “So, Hanji, why are we here? And why is Annie with us?”

“Well, like I said, it seems she lost her memory. She didn’t even know her own name. So I figured that if we gave her the perfect opportunity to capture you, we’d know for sure if she’s lost her memory.” They gestured to Annie, who didn’t seem to be following the conversation.

Eren approached her, getting her attention with an awkward wave. “So you really don’t remember anything?” she shook her head. “Then you don’t know what your mission is anymore?”

“No.” she looked around, most of the people around her seemed hostile. “Did I fail? Is that why you all are angry with me?”

A moment passed in which everyone stared at her in shock, then Levi stepped up, grabbing her by her collar. “Don’t fuck with me! Because of you all those people died. You don’t get to walk away with the excuse of not remembering it.”

Instead of fighting him of like Mikasa expected her to, Annie tried to make herself small, eyes darting to the other people, looking for an ally. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened, but I’m sure I didn’t want anyone to die, I’m sorry.” She sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

Hanji stepped in. “Levi, let’s stop. She really doesn’t seem to remember. We should try observing her a little more before we decide on any actions.”

“Do you actually have shit for brains? She’s just acting, and once we let our guard down, she’ll finish the job.” He shook Annie as he spoke, and now tears really rolled down the girl’s cheeks.

Mikasa stepped in, she could not believe Annie was such a good actor. “Levi, let it be. For now, we should decide what we’re going to do.” With a displeased grunt he let her go, and Annie surprised them all by grabbing on to Mikasa’s jacket and burying her face in her shoulder. “Annie?”

“Well then.” Hanji clapped their hands. “I guess it’s decided. Mikasa will look after her.”

“What?” While she put Eren’s wellbeing before anyone else’s, it wasn’t like she really hated Annie. They used to be pretty good friends, after all. But having to look after her was a completely different matter.

“If it wasn’t for you we wouldn’t have captured her in the first place. And it seems like she would cause the least trouble when she’s near you.” Mikasa nodded, it wasn’t like she could go against her superiors.

Several hours later, Mikasa sat on the edge of her bed, looking at Annie who sat on the chair. For now, they were to share the room. She had to observe Annie for any signs of her memory returning, and make reports about her every day. After having settled in, silence hung between them. When Annie started toying with the ring on her finger, Mikasa’s eyes went wide. “Annie, that ring-”

Annie looked up. “Sorry, is it yours?”

“What makes you think it’s mine?”

“I just feel like someone important gave it to me.” She took off the ring and placed it on the desk next to her. “I really don’t remember anything, but I guess my feelings for things and people are still the same.”

“Then, how do you feel about me?” Mikasa asked.

“Like you’re a good friend. Which is really weird because I don’t know anything about you.”

That surprised Mikasa, sure they used to be friends, but Annie had always been quiet, and after they found out she was the female titan, she thought it had all been an act. “And what about Eren?”

“Um… conflicted, I think? Like I need him for something but I feel sorry for it at the same time?” Mikasa nodded, pondering over her answer. After a moment Annie spoke up again, “Say, what happened? They said something about a mission and were angry at me for it, but I have no idea what it is about. It must’ve been really important if they get so angry at me for failing.”

Mikasa just stared at her. Annie thought she was on a mission for them? If she played it right they might gat Annie to be an ally even after her memory returned. The chance was small considering how far she had been willing to go for her mission, but she had to try. Still, with her memory gone, she seemed like a different person. “Why didn’t you defend yourself when Levi grabbed your collar?” she asked.

“I don’t know how?”

Mikasa stared at her for several minutes, unsure if she had heard her right. “But… you are better than anyone else at hand to hand combat. Even I never could beat you.”

“Well, maybe if I was in a fight I might remember the moves, who knows. But that guy, Levi, he kind of scared me.” Mikasa had never expected her to be so open about her feelings, but it made her job easier. Still, it was odd to say the least. She walked over to where the blonde sat, looking into her eyes. Annie gazed up at her, her eyes nowhere near as cold as they used to be. “Is there something?” she asked.

“No.” Mikasa replied. “It’s just curious how different you are now. You’re not hiding behind a mask like you used to.”

Annie chuckled. “It’s not like I have anything to hide anyway. I just figured talking with you might help me remember. You are my friend after all.” When the only reply she got from Mikasa was the knotting of her brow, she sighed. “I must’ve really messed up on that mission if you’re being like this.”

“You betrayed us.” Mikasa said, not sure how much was okay to say.

Annie stood and said, “I would never betray you.” She cast her eyes downward. “I mean, I don’t think I would.”

“And yet you did.” Mikasa said coldly. “You said your feelings still are the same. So you must have some idea as to why you did that. Is there any feeling that might explain it?”

Annie was quiet for a while, then spoke quietly. “Homesick. Somehow wanting to go home conflicts with wanting to stay here with you.”

Mikasa didn’t know how to reply. Right from the moment she escaped from the crystal, Annie had shown nothing but affection towards her. If capturing Eren and climbing the wall had to do with her going home, then that must’ve been a very difficult decision for her to make. “I never knew I meant so much to you. But that doesn’t mean I can just forgive you for what you’ve done.”

Annie placed a hand on her shoulder, locking eyes with her. “Then I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you.” Mikasa believed her, how could she not, seeing all the emotion her gaze held.


	5. Mirror

As a little girl, Mikasa’s parents often took her with them to their friends the Jaegers. She would then play with their son, Eren.

One day, the two were playing outside, at the edge of a forest. A trench ran between the back yard and the forest, but the children had used a few planks to make a bridge. They were each holding a stick, swinging it around like swords.

Mikasa knocked the stick out of Eren’s hand, pointing the end of hers at his face. “I win.” She announced.

“Mikasa! You can’t win! I’m Ran, the master swordsman!” the boy shouted, referring to a tv show.

“Why do you always have to be Ran?”

“Girls can’t play Ran, he’s a boy. But you can play the evil Zeni.”

“Well, then Ran just lost to Zeni.” Mikasa said simply.

“No! Ran never loses! Evil can’t beat good!” he grabbed at Mikasa’s stick, pulling it from her lose grip. “Die, evil witch!” he yelled, swinging the stick at her.

Mikasa stepped back, Eren always took these games way too seriously. He didn’t hit her, but tears still sprung to her eyes. “Eren, you idiot!” she shouted and ran away, deeper into the forest.

She hadn’t really paid attention to where she ran, but slowed down as the trees started to lessen. An old house stood in the middle of a clearing, a two meter high wall running down its sides, cutting the forest in half.

Curious, Mikasa poked at the dark wooden door, which opened with a creaking sound. Inside it was dark, save for the few beams of sunlight that filtered through the filthy or broken windows. The air was damp and smelled of wet wood and dust.

She tread further, reaching a staircase. Water seeped out of the wood with each step she took, a hallway awaiting her at the top. Light fell through a hole in the ceiling, and she walked towards it.

Something on her left moved, but when she looked, it was her reflection. Dirt was caked to the glass in patterns only the rain could have made. The mirror reached from the floor to the ceiling, the lower part completely concealed by dirt. The reflection was vague, but Mikasa dispelled it as caused by aging.

She walked on, but was met by a wall only a few meters further. She turned around, glancing at the mirror as she passed.

Mikasa stopped. She did not have blonde hair. She turned back to the mirror, and saw another girl standing where her reflection was supposed to be.

A few blonde locks framed the girl’s face, the rest tied in a bun. Icy blue eyes observed her curiously. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of a gray hoodie, black shorts trailing of in the muddy underside of the mirror.

“Hi.” Mikasa said. The other girl had spoken at the same moment, but she heard no one besides herself. “I’m Mikasa.”

The girl shook her head, pointing at her ears, and formed soundless words with her mouth. Mikasa pointed at herself and wrote her name on the glass. The girl nodded, and wrote her name as well. Annie.

They smiled, placing their hands on the glass at the same spot.

Mikasa turned around as she heard shouting. Voices carried inside through the gap in the roof, they probably were looking for her. She turned back to the mirror, where the other girl looked at her with questions in her eyes.

“Bye.” Mikasa said, waving. Annie waved back, watching as she left.

She ran out of the house, following the voices. She found her and Eren's parents looking for her a bit further in the forest.

“Mikasa! There you are, we were so worried.” her mother said, hugging her.

“Eren, don't you have anything to say to Mikasa?” Dr Jaeger said.

“... I'm sorry.”

“Alright, let's go back.” he said.

“Geez, Mikasa. Why did you have to run of like that? The woods can be a scary place. Did you get hurt?” her mother asked.

“No, I'm fine.”

As they reached the makeshift bridge to the Jaeger’s lawn, Eren turned around. “I heard there lives a witch deep in the woods, cursing everyone she sees.”

“Eren! Don't scare her!” Grisha scolded.

Mikasa thought of Annie. Is that what happened? Had she run into the witch, who trapped her in the mirror? But it was clear that no one lived in the house anymore, so it must've been a long time since that happened.

A few weeks later Mikasa's parents died in a car crash, and the Jaegers adopted her. She would often run of into the forest, looking for the old house. Annie was there almost every time, and while they couldn't hear each other, they learned to read the words from their lips, see the emotions in their eyes.

When she was fifteen, Mikasa transferred to a new school, together with Eren. It was in the opposite direction of their old school, and offered the option of martial arts instead of the usual PE. It had been the reason the two of them decided to nag at their parent’s until they gave in. Carla had been especially displeased with the idea, anything that could harm the children brought a frown to her face.

On the morning of their first day the teens rode their bikes to their new school. Being in the center of the city made it easy to find, and once there all they had to do was follow others who went to put their bikes away.

After that they went to look for Armin, it had been three years since they last went to the same school as him. As they walked around, Mikasa realized just how big the school was. You could easily spend years there without ever seeing half of the students, even if they were in the same grade.

They found the blond boy near the entrance of building A, where he greeted them happily. They discussed their schedules, and it turned out Eren and Armin were in the same class. Armin decided to help Mikasa find her class before heading off to his own.

She was early, no one else was there yet. And while she trusted Armin, the longer she was there alone, the more the feeling that she was in the wrong class crept up to her.

When two boys stepped into the room, she released a breath of relief into her scarf. She didn’t like to admit it, but new things and places made her nervous.

The boys were in the middle of a conversation, but stopped when they saw her. After silently staring at her for a few seconds, one of them joined her at the desk.

“Hi, I’m Jean. You… you have beautiful hair.” He said, blush creeping over his cheeks.

“Thanks.” Mikasa said, wondering if he had anything else to say.

“I’m Marco.” The other boy joined in, realizing his friend was a bit uncomfortable.

“Mikasa.” She introduced herself.

Marco looked between the two, Mikasa seemed like the quiet type and Jean still had that blush on his cheeks.

“So, um…” he started, breaking the silence. “Our class is a bit small, since there aren’t many people who are interested in both martial arts and chemistry. There are three more people, and they’re all nice so I’m sure you’ll get along greatly.”

“Yeah, and if you need anyone to show you around, I would gladly show you.” Jean added.

“Thanks.”

 

 

At lunchtime she went to look for Armin and Eren, accompanied by Jean and Marco. Their attention was drawn by a group of cheering students.

“Oh, great. Looks like someone started a fight again.” Jean said.

Mikasa headed for the group, hoping Eren wasn’t involved. When she reached the center of the circle, she saw him fighting with a bulky blond guy. Eren managed to land a kick strong enough to send him to the ground.

“That’ll teach you, you- gah!” he wasn’t able to finish his sentence when a small blonde girl kicked him in the stomach. Mikasa leapt into the circle, placing herself between Eren and the girl, who had planned on hitting him again. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the girl was Annie. Annie herself looked just as surprised.

Behind her, the bulky guy had gotten up. “What’s the matter Annie? Why don’t you beat them up?”

Annie turned her head in his direction, but kept her eyes on Mikasa. “Since you’re new here I’ll explain the rules. To anyone who hurts my friends I’ll return the favor double.” She looked at Eren as she spoke. “I’ll let you off the hook now, but I won’t be so kind next time.”

Eren scowled, but before he could retort, a teacher broke through the group of students, who quickly scattered. Jean came to stand in front of Mikasa, blocking her view.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” He guided her and Eren away to a bench. “You really know how to pick a fight, don’t you?”

“What do you mean? He insulted me, so of course I defend myself.” Eren said.

“That guy was Reiner Braun. He’s one of the best fighters in school. And that girl was Annie Leonhardt. She _is_ the best fighter in school. I’ve never seen her lose before, hell, no one dares to fight her. There’s one more guy to their group, Berthold. They stick together so much that if you even say one word to one of them, you’ll get all three to beat you up.”

“They didn’t seem so scary.” Eren said.

“That’s because you don’t know them. They practically rule the school, and the teachers don’t do anything about it because they never get caught, and their grades are good. But honestly, they’re the worst kind of thugs you’ll ever see in your life.”

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. True, she had never seen Annie in school before, but she knew her side of the story. And she sure as hell didn’t like her best friend being called a thug. Even if she only heard her voice for the first time this day. She chose to ignore what he just said, seeing as even Eren didn’t know about her.

 

 

When she came home from school, she immediately went to the old building. It took a while, but Annie showed up, smiling as she saw her.

“You’re real.” Mikasa said.

 _“Why wouldn’t I be?”_ Annie asked.

“… It’s going to sound stupid but… Eren once told me about a witch who cursed everyone she saw when I was little. I thought she had trapped you in there, and I never really thought about it as I got older.”

 _“Really? You still believe in curses?”_ Annie wasn’t making fun of her.

“No. I was just so used to the idea of the girl trapped in the magic mirror that I never questioned it.”

_“Magic mirror? I guess it can look like that, it’s pretty dark here. But I can see clearly on your side, so I used to think you lived here. Pretty stupid, now that I think about it. This place is a wreck.”_

Mikasa chuckled. “I never thought I’d see you in real life. I mean, besides here.”

_“Me neither. Was that your brother, back at lunch?”_

“Yeah. Figures he has to start a fight on our first day. But at least I got to meet you.”

 

 

At the end of the school day, Mikasa had heard some rumors about Annie’s group. Apparently they were caught smoking weed and got suspended. However, to her knowledge, Annie didn’t smoke. They’d meet up in the old house anyway, so she’d ask her then.

For once Annie was there sooner than her, her schoolbag behind her. Despite still wearing her emotionless mask, Mikasa could sense something was wrong.

“Annie, what happened?” she asked.

 _“I was just hanging out with the boys. A teacher found us when they were smoking. They never caught us doing anything wrong, but they know the rumors. They used the chance to suspend Reiner and Berthold. Since I wasn’t smoking anything and didn’t look high, they just called my dad. He sounded so angry when he said we’d talk once I got home.”_ That explained why her bag was there. _“I’m scared.”_

She was on the verge of tears. Mikasa wanted hold her, but the glass was in the way. “Annie. Move.”

_“What?”_

“Move to the side.” Mikasa gestured as she wrapped her handkerchief over her knuckles.

Annie saw what she planned to do, and quickly moved out of the way. Mikasa took her stance, pulled her fist back, and hit the glass with all her strength. It cracked and shattered to both sides, leaving a big hole in the middle. Mikasa stepped over the shattered boundary, mindful of the jagged edge it’s frame still held.

She pulled Annie into a hug,

 

She gives annie her scarf, annie gets beaten over that the next day by over ten people, Mikasa comes to her rescue, when the teachers arrive they have to call an ambulance for Annie. they talk more in the hospital.


	6. Titan academy

Dr. Jeager made a turn to the right with his car. “Five more minutes and we should be there.” he said to the others.

Next to him, in the passenger seat was Armin’s grandfather. “You hear that Armin, soon you can start studying at your new school.” he said to the boy behind him.

“Yeah.” Eren, who sat in the middle, rolled his eyes at his friend’s enthusiasm and continued to look outside with a displeased look on his face. Mikasa looked at him in concern.

The school they were being sent to was very strict. It had a reputation of being able to turn even the most unreasonable teenagers into well-mannered students, while weaker and timid ones came out strong and confident.

Dr. Jeager wanted only the best for his son and adoptive daughter, and Armin had made it clear he didn’t want to be separated from his friends, so he got them all a place at Titan Academy.

They drove through a small but lively town with lots of shops, bars, arcades and movie theaters. All young people were bound to find a place here they’d love to spend their time at.

Soon the bright little village made way for a concrete wall, reaching up to at least three meters high. Where the wall made a corner to the right, it revealed a parking lot, and they had finally reached their destination.

They got out of the car and took in their surroundings. The only opening in the wall was a currently open iron-bar gate, complete with camera’s. Beside it stood two men in a uniform consisting of white pants and a deep green jacket. They noted down who entered on a checklist.

“Mikasa.” Dr. Jeager said, “I know you’ll be living in different dorms, but try to keep an eye out over Eren, I don’t want him to get in trouble. Now, will you take the suitcases out?” After a nod from the girl he went to the boys, who were saying farewell to Armin’s grandfather. “Boys,” he started, “I arranged it so you two have the same dorm room.”

“Good, then I won’t have to deal with some idiot.” Eren said.

“Eren! ...Now, back to what I wanted to say, try to help Mikasa open up a bit. It’s good that she has you guys, but I really think she should get some girl friends too. Help her out if you can.”

“Ok.” the boys said, just as Mikasa joined them with their luggage.

The adults looked at the youngsters, proud, but also sad to let them go for such a long time. “I’ll come pick you up for Christmas. Have fun.” Dr. Jeager said.

After their goodbye’s the trio gathered with the rest of the students at the other side of the gate. When they were all present a man dressed in the same uniform as the men at the gate came forward. One long stare of him later everyone had gone quiet.

“My name is Keith Shadis, that’s master Shadis for you! Here are the rules: the girls dorm is on your left, the boys dorm on the right. Under no circumstances can you enter the opposite dorm! During school hours you will always wear your uniform. The cafeteria is on your immediate left after entering the school building behind me, it is open from seven to eight in the morning, in weekends until one. Twelve to one at midday, and six to seven in the evening. No one is allowed outside the dorms after eight, ten in the weekends, at ten all lights will be out, twelve in the weekend. You are allowed outside the school’s territory during the weekends, HOWEVER, if you sneak out during the week that right will no longer be yours for an undefined duration. Also, no one is allowed out on the first weekend, if you do, you won’t see anything beyond these walls for the rest of the year. More detailed information is available in your dorms. Dismissed!”

As he walks away the crowd grows loud once more.

“Today is a Monday!” Eren shouted. “I can’t believe I’m stuck here for two whole weeks without a break!”

“After that we’ll go have fun.” Armin said. “But first we should go to our dorms, it’s already past five. If we still want to eat and hang out we don’t have much time.”

“Ah, come on. We just drop our bags in the room and unpack later. We’ll be back here in ten minutes.” Eren said.

How wrong he was.

By the time Mikasa reached the reception desk of her dorm to pick up her key, more than forty minutes had passed, all thanks to the crowd of people who got there before her.

She walked through the hallway, looking at every door to find her room. Copper numbers spelled out 427 on a wooden door, she unlocked it and went in.

The walls and floor where white, and the furniture was made out of a light colored wood. A window with green curtains was on the opposing side of the room, the potted plant before it perfectly dividing the room in half. In front of the window stood a desk with two chairs, with on each side a bedside table and beds. So far everything was symmetric. On the right were a book rack and closet, beside the door leading to the hallway. On the left there was a door, and another book rack and closet took up the only free space left alongside the wall.

A half unpacked suitcase lay on the floor near the left bed, on which several clothes were spread out. Mikasa placed her own suitcase at the end of her bed, she’d unpack later. She looked out the window, all she saw of the terrain was some wilted grass and the wall. Since she was on the fourth floor she could see over the wall, but all that awaited there was more wilted grass and a few trees. She lowered her gaze and her attention was drawn by a note stuck to the potted plant.

“Dear students, please take care of me.” Her first task, but at least the plant was nicer to look at than the rest of the room.

Mikasa entered the door on the left of the room. The bathroom contained a shower, a sink, a towel rack and a toilet, just what she needed.

It was already past six when Mikasa finally found her way to the cafeteria, she hoped she didn’t make her friends wait. She scanned the room several times, before deciding they hadn’t returned from their dorm yet. She took a food tray and got in line, waiting for a hot plate of (hopefully) delicious food.

“What do you mean I can’t have seconds on meat?!” the girl in front of her shouted. Her brown hair was up in a tail, and she returned to her table with a disappointed look, despite the large amount of potatoes and beans on her plate.

Mikasa accepted the food without complaints and searched for an empty table near the entrance. She had only just taken a seat when the boys came in. They waved at her and got their own plates before joining her.

“I can’t believe how long it took to get our keys!” Eren complained. “And then there is this plant we are supposed to take care of. It’s almost as if they’re asking us to escape from here, and we only just arrived!” he went on about all the little details and stories he had heard about the school.

Armin interrupted his rant by asking Mikasa a question. “So Mikasa, have you met your roommate yet?”

“No. She must have been one of the first, half of her stuff was already unpacked, but she wasn’t there when I came in.”

“Eren and I were lucky to get the same room, but it is important to get along with your roommate.”

“Hm.” Mikasa wondered what he was getting at, as long as they didn’t fight it would be fine, but he didn’t continue so she soon forgot about it.

After they finished dinner they walked around the school grounds, trying to get an idea of the layout. Eren started planning ways to escape, while Armin and Mikasa constantly reminded him why that was a bad idea.

Time quickly passed and soon Mikasa found herself running towards her dorm, she didn’t want to be late. She pushed the glass door open and stared right into the face of the lady who had previously given her her key.

“What’s your full name?”

“Mikasa Ackerman.” she said, wondering why she needed her name.

“Well Ackerman, you are two minutes late.” she said while scribbling something on a clipboard. “My colleague will fill you in on your punishment.”

Mikasa walked over to the woman next to the desk, she just handed someone a bucket and mop.

“What floor do you sleep on?” the woman asked without even looking at her.

“Uh, the fourth floor.”

“Then you will mop that hallway. Here you go.” Mikasa accepted the mop and bucket of water, silently cursing that only people in wheelchairs were allowed to use the elevator. As she headed for the stairs, two other girls came rushing in, only to be put to work.

She knew this school was very strict, but this? Having to mop the hallway just for being two minutes late on the first evening? Wait, didn’t that Shadis guy say no one was allowed out for the first weekend? Maybe they just wanted to make it very clear at the start of the year how they worked. That way there might be less trouble during the rest of the year.

Mikasa shook her head, thinking about it wasn’t going to change the fact that she had to mop the floor all by herself.

Several long minutes later another girl dragged herself up the stairs, it was the same girl who wanted seconds on her meat. As soon as she saw Mikasa she started talking.

“I can’t believe this school! I was lucky to be the first to get my key, if I had been in that crowd who knows when I would’ve gotten it. But then I couldn’t get seconds on meat, and then I got thrown out the dining hall, and I couldn’t even take a dessert with me! And now I have to clean this damn hall for being ten minutes late!”

“I was only two minutes late.” Mikasa said.

“Moaah, I want to go home.” the brunette said and slumped against the wall.

“You might want to clean though, there are camera’s in the hallways. If they catch you slacking off, who knows what ’ll happen.”

“Oh.” The girl looked up to see there was indeed a camera. “Thanks. I’m Sasha by the way.”

“Mikasa.”

“I sleep in room 463, you?”

“427”

They continued to clean while Sasha talked about all the things she wanted to eat if she survived through the two weeks they weren’t allowed out. Apparently she saw a few promising restaurants on her way to the school.

After more than an hour they finally returned the cleaning material, and retreated to their rooms. With a sigh Mikasa closed the door behind her, it had only been a few hours since she arrived, but she was exhausted. It was dark in the room, except for moonlight filtering through the narrow gap between the closed curtains. After her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she noticed the sleeping form of her roommate. Her suitcase was gone and she had placed some of her things on the desk.

Mikasa looked at her watch, she had about half an hour before all lights had to be out. With another sigh she pushed herself away from the door and turned on her bedside table lamp. She quickly looked at her roommate, who continued to sleep with her back turned.

As quiet as she could Mikasa opened her suitcase and took out her pajamas, teddy bear and a uniform. Tomorrow night she’d be on time, so she only took out what she really needed. She took a quick shower and crawled into her bed. She remembered to set her alarm for the next morning, and soon drifted off to sleep.

 

The next morning a beeping sound woke her up. Mikasa opened her sleepy eyes, her arm stretching out to shut the alarm, only to find out it was too early. It was only six fifteen. She was sure she set her alarm at six forty.

Suddenly the beeping stopped, followed by a groan. A blond girl sat up in the other bed, her hands covering her face as she groaned again. Mikasa closed her eyes, hoping to get a bit more sleep.

She didn’t get much chance however, ten minutes later the alarm went off again. Mikasa opened her eyes, annoyed as she once again found that it wasn’t her alarm. She looked over to her roommate, who was currently trying to turn the alarm of by kicking at it. For some reason, instead of getting up, she had decided to continue her sleep on top of the covers, her head down the back end. Her left foot finally hit the alarm clock, sending it flying across the room, plugging it out.

Sighing Mikasa turned around. Hopefully it wouldn’t be like this every morning. A bit later she heard footsteps, the closing of a door, and the faucet turning on. Just when sleep caught her again, her own alarm went off. Annoyed she shut it up. She had already heard enough alarms for the rest of the week.

She got out of bed and put on her uniform. It consisted out of white pants and shirt, and a brown vest. Her roommate was still in the bathroom, so she was glad her brush was still in her suitcase. She wrapped her scarf around her neck, hoping they weren’t so strict to forbid wearing it inside.

Walking to the cafeteria took over ten minutes. Only a few people had arrived before her, including Sasha, who appeared to have two food trays for herself. Next to her sat a bald boy, who seemed to be telling something funny, because Sasha started coughing and she nearly choked on her food from laughter. Mikasa picked out her breakfast, and since she didn’t see Eren or Armin, she sat down across Sasha.

“Oh, goow woring wikaha.” she said while chewing on some bread.

“Um, morning.” Mikasa said.

“Morning, I’m Connie.” said the boy.

“Mikasa.” she introduced herself and started eating.

Eren and Armin came in a bit later and joined them. After the introductions were done Eren started complaining about having to clean the hallway of the second floor, and some guy named Jean laughing at him. Soon it turned out all five of them had been put to cleaning for being late.

“They’re way too strict with that curfew! There were like ten guys cleaning, and that was only our floor.” Eren said.

“You were lucky, until Sasha came I was on my own. And I had to drag that bucket all the way to the fourth floor.”

“I also had to clean the staircase!” he added.

“That’s because you mopped Jean’s face. I warned you about the camera’s.” Armin said.

“Really? I’m so glad Mikasa told me to do it. If I also had to clean the stairs, who knows when I would have been done?” Sasha said.

“How long did it take?” Armin asked.

“It was about nine thirty when I got back to my room. And my roommate was already sleeping, so I had to be quiet. I still have to unpack.”

“Nine thirty? Who goes to bed that early?” Connie said.

“Someone who sets her alarm really early and needs it to go off twice before she gets up.” Mikasa said, irritation in her voice.

“Eren always puts it on snooze, even when he is already awake. It just kept going of every five minutes, in the end I had to turn it off.”

“Armin! That was planned!”

“My roommate kicked her clock out of the plug. I almost tripped over it on my way out.”

The rest of the group stared at her in disbelieve. “Talk about not being a morning person.”

A short man dressed in the uniform of the personnel came to their table, handing out their timetables.

It looked like a schedule like any other school would give, except for the hour of sports at the end of every day.

“Besides PE also sports from four thirty to five thirty. Is that obligated?” Mikasa asked the man.

“Once a week, you can choose the day. Of course you’re free to go every day.” Mikasa nodded. It didn’t really matter, at home she always trained on her own, and she planned to continue that here. But she would have to skip today, thanks to that awfully strict curfew she still had to unpack.

“For gods sake, please learn to eat decently. Clean that mess up, would you.” The man said to Sasha.

“Hm? Don we ‘ave pewsonel fow tha?” she said with her mouth full.

“Gross.” He walked over to the next table with a disgusted look on his face.

They didn’t learn much on their first day, they just got their books and a thorough explanation of how the school worked. At four they left the school building, their bags cramped with heavy books.

“Let’s go look for weak spots in their security!” Eren proposed. “After we ditch these books of course.”

“I’m going to unpack first, I’d like to get that done as soon as possible.” Mikasa said. “I’ll see you guys at dinner.”

“Ok, see you later.”

Mikasa entered her room and dropped her books on her desk. She just started unpacking her suitcase when the door opened. A short girl with her hair in a bun entered, and Mikasa noticed that she wore a white hoodie under her vest, instead of a shirt. She kicked the door shut behind her and dropped her bag on the floor.

“Hi.” Mikasa said.

The blonde looked at her, not even bothering to hum as a greeting.

“I’m Mikasa.”

“Annie.” the girl said and picked out a sportive outfit.

Mikasa turned her attention back to unpacking as the other girl changed out of her uniform. Soon Annie exited the room, leaving a mess on her side, even her alarm clock was still on the floor.

Mikasa placed her books in the rack, her own and the school books on different shelves. When all her clothes had been placed in the closet and her other belongings had been given a place, she shoved the empty suitcase under her bed. She picked up the alarm clock and put it on Annie’s bedside table. She changed out of her uniform into something more comfortable. After taking a moment to enjoy the result of her work, she picked out a book she discovered a few days earlier.

She sat down on her bed and started reading. It was written like a logbook, and if the writer hadn’t mentioned that he was a dragon slayer, it might actually have been a true story. As she flipped through the pages she soon forgot the time. Until someone made a not so subtle entrance.

Annie smacked the door shut behind her, causing Mikasa to look at her with raised eyebrows.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

“Wrong?” Annie paused and looked at her. “If that Shadis wasn’t someone important I swear I would’ve dragged his face across the dirt. No one says that to me.”

What ‘that’ was Mikasa never knew, since Annie headed for the shower with a fresh pair of clothes. Ten minutes later she emerged again, her anger flushed down the drain. She was wearing her white hoodie again, on top of a loose pair of jeans. Mikasa eyed her over her book, with the little she had seen from Annie, she was a rather strange girl. And in Mikasa’s experience of observing people, strange ones were always the most fun.

“Hey, you put my clock back.” she noticed.

“Yeah, next time, try to shut it normally, instead of kicking it across the room.”

“I make no such promises.” she said while plugging it back in.

Mikasa really hoped that was a bad joke, and left the room to eat.

“So did you get everything unpacked?” Armin asked as he sat down next to her.

She nodded, looking around the table, there were a few new faces. Sasha saw her looking and swallowed before talking.

“That’s Ymir, my roommate.” she pointed.

The brunette looked up at the mention of her name. “Oh, hi. And this little cutie is Krista, I saved her when she got lost earlier today.”

“Ymir! I didn’t get lost!” Ymir laughed at the small blonde’s attempt to headbutt her.

“I’m Jean.” said a guy who looked at her with dreamy eyes.

“Jean? What are you doing here?” Eren said cockily.

“I could ask the same of you! How’d you ever get friends with a girl anyway?”

“We’re family.” Mikasa said. The boys continued arguing, but with a table in between them she didn’t worry.

“Did you get to meet your roommate yet?” Armin asked her.

Mikasa gazed over the cafeteria, until she saw the blond sitting by herself at a corner. She pointed. “Her name is Annie.”

“Why don’t you invite her over?”

She averted her gaze to look at him. “If she wanted to sit here she could’ve done so when she came in.” With that said she returned her attention to the food on her plate.

When everyone had filled their bellies, or rather, when Sasha got kicked out of the cafeteria, the group set out to continue Eren’s mission. The boy ran ahead of everyone else, leading to where he left of before dinner. The group continued to walk past the wall, which had barbed wire covering its entire length.

“What are we looking for?” Ymir asked after a while.

“A weak spot in their security. I really don’t wanna stay here for two whole weeks.” Eren said.

“Shadis had us run along this path during the extra hour. It’s about two miles long and the wall is this high all the way. So unless you have a way of getting over it without shredding your clothes, you’d better forget about it.”

“I will find a way out of here!”

“You really are a moron. If they catch you out in these first two weeks, you’ll never get out again. That’s just the way it is.” Jean said. “Anyway, I’m going back.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, run away, you coward!” Eren shouted after him.

“Say Krista, why don’t we go as well? I can think of more enjoyable things to do.”

“Huh? What do you-” The rest of her words disappeared at the sight of Ymirs smirk. The brunette swept her of her feet, carrying her away bride-style. “Ymir! Put me down!”

Krista’s protests became fainter as they walked away. “What’s up with them?” Eren asked.

“I think Ymir’s a lesbian. She was reading dirty magazines yesterday.” Sasha said.

“How come you know that?” Connie asked.

“She placed them right next to my food stash! How was I not supposed to notice! She even said I could borrow them if I wanted! Of course I told her that doesn’t mean she can have any of my food.”

“Really? Can you ask her if I can borrow them?” Connie asked.

“Connie!”

“What? If she said you could, then why would she have a problem with me borrowing them?”

Sasha ignored his question, and ran off a bit later because she saw an apple tree. She returned with a disappointed expression on her face. “They’re not ripe yet.” she explained.

Mikasa checked her watch. They had half an hour to return to the dorms, but they were pretty far away, especially from the girls’ dorm.

“Guys. We should head back if we don’t want to be late again.”

They turned around, and as Mikasa expected, the boys still had time to spare. She checked her watch again. Seven minutes.

“Maybe we should run. It’ll be a close one as it is, and if their clock runs a bit faster than mine we’ll be in trouble again.” Sasha nodded and they ran most of the way back.

“Close one girls.” the woman said as they entered. Mikasa looked at the clock hanging on the wall, one minute to eight.

“Good thing we ran here. Thanks Mikasa.” the brunette said.

As they reached the stairs they heard the doors opening and the lady asking for the girls name. They made it, in the nick of time. Deciding she’d use the time she had left to exercise, Mikasa ran up the stairs, catching her breath as she reached the fourth floor. Running up stairs was more of a challenge than running laps.

She entered her room, placing her scarf neatly on the desk. Then she started doing push-ups.

Annie, who sat on her bed, scribbling something in a sketchbook, let her eyes rest on the oriental girl. She toyed with her pencil as Mikasa finished her set of sixty push-ups. Without allowing herself a break, Mikasa turned on her back and started on her sit-ups. After she finished five hundred of those, she turned around again, this time to do one-hand push-ups. She managed five with her right hand, two on her left.

As she slumped against her bed to let her muscles rest a bit, she noticed Annie staring at her. She lifted an eyebrow, to which the blonde replied with an upward twitch from the corner of her mouth.

“Not bad.” she said.

“As if you can do better.” Mikasa said.

“I’d show you better, had I not already done my exercises for today. Don’t worry, I’ll beat you  tomorrow.”

Mikasa narrowed her eyes. If a challenge was what she wanted, she had found one. Annie went back to her drawing, while Mikasa went to shower. When she returned, the curtains were closed and Annie lay in her bed. Mikasa wasn’t sure if she was still awake, so she tiptoed across the room, slipping into her bed. She pulled her teddy bear from behind her pillow, she couldn’t sleep without holding something. She would never admit it though, which was why she hid it behind her pillow during the day. Even Eren didn’t know.

 

The next morning Annie’s alarm woke her up again, the blonde however, didn’t seem to notice. The only sign that she did hear something was her muttering “Shut up dad.”

When the beeping still hadn’t stopped after almost a minute, Mikasa threw the first thing she got her hands on at the blonde, only looking a second to aim.

She abruptly pushed her upper body up, looking around for what had hit her. When she noticed her alarm, she quickly turned it off, and Mikasa relaxed.

Annie sat up, holding the projectile in her hands. “You still sleep with stuffed animals?” she said in a mocking tone.

Mikasa's eyes opened wide, only then realizing what she threw. Sleepy as she was, it took her a few seconds to retort. “What about you, calling for your dad instead of turning that noise off.”

“Tch. Whatever.” Annie threw the bear back and headed for the bathroom.

“Don’t take too long.” Mikasa called after her, pulling the bear back in her arms.

Mikasa was buttoning her shirt when Annie came out of the bathroom. When the blonde saw her, she walked over to her bed and threw a pillow at her.

“Hey! What’s that for?”

“Payback.” she said and went to make her bed.

Mikasa picked up the pillow at her feet and threw it against her back. Slowly Annie turned around.

“So... you want to play it like this, huh.” Annie reached for the pillow, Mikasa realized how serious she was and quickly grabbed her own pillow.

Sasha walked through the hallway, she wanted to be there once the cafeteria opened. She heard muffled shouts as she walked past one of the doors, stopping to listen. Wait a second, wasn’t that Mikasa’s room? She knocked, followed by a silence inside. Carefully she opened the door, peeking inside. Both girls stood in fighting stance, each a pillow in their hands. Their hair was messy, some of it standing up. They looked at Sasha with big eyes, while white feathers fluttered down.

“Um... good morning?” Sasha said unsure.

They relaxed when they saw she was not there to punish them.

“Let’s call it even.” Mikasa said.

Annie huffed. “For now.”

“I’ll see you at breakfast.” Sasha said to Mikasa before leaving as soon as possible. She did not ever want to be in a pillow fight with either of those two. Or any fight, for that matter.

The rest of the day went by uneventful, until the extra sport hour. Shadis made them run alongside the wall as a warm up. Right from the start it was obvious who was in shape and who wasn’t. Armin stayed behind, he had never joined Mikasa on her training. Eren had joined her on irregular basis, leaving him in the middle of the group. Mikasa ran at the head of the group, together with a few who seemed to run on a daily basis. She recognized Ymir and Annie. The latter smirked at her before speeding up to truly lead the group. Mikasa followed her, staying about a meter behind her. If this was a race, all that mattered was who crossed the finish line first, no need to exhaust herself on the way.

“What’s the matter, Mikasa?” Annie said mockingly. “Am I too fast for you, or do you just like to watch me run?”

Mikasa scowled, but someone else replied before she could.

“I just like to watch you run. A fine pair of asses indeed.” Ymir ran right behind them, a smirk on her face.

Annie looked around in surprise. “That what you wanted to hear?” Mikasa deadpanned.

“Oh, shut up scarf-face.” Annie sped up again, not wanting to talk. 

Mikasa kept running a bit behind her, but when the finish came in sight, she sped up, surprised Annie, who increased her speed as well.

Shadis almost lost his balance when the two girls dashed past him at both sides. He was glad the girls only had eyes for each other and no one else was around.

“I win.” Annie stated as the two of them stood panting across each other.

“No you don’t. I was first.”

They glared at each other for a few seconds, then they snapped their heads towards Shadis. “Who was first?” they asked.

“I was not aware anyone was racing. But you are free to fill the rest of the hour with exercises of your own choice. I can help out with that.” He offered. The competitive tension between the girls was almost visible, he hadn’t seen anything like it before.

The girls locked eyes. “Push-ups.” They said and agreed with a small nod.

By the end of the hour there was no clear victor, and their final battle of the day was who would reach the bathroom first.

They were able to keep their competing for the extra sports hour, the classes were really getting started, and next thing they knew, it was weekend.

 

It was Saturday, about ten in the morning. Mikasa had just returned from breakfast and started on her homework. She knew she didn’t have to worry about Eren with Armin as his roommate. Annie was sitting on her bed, sketchbook in hand, glancing at Mikasa every once in a while.

A loud knock came from their door, followed by a voice calling “Inspection!”

Alarmed Mikasa’s head shot up, looking at the plant, she had completely forgotten it. But thankfully it was still fresh and green, Annie had probably taken care of it.

A woman entered the room, let her eyes absorb the content, then checking their bathroom.

“Very good, ladies. Everything is clean, make sure to keep it that way. Cleaning supplies can be found at the entrance, just ask for it at the reception desk.” She scribbled something on her clipboard and left the room.

“Did you know we get inspection?” Mikasa asked.

Annie looked up from her drawing. “Yeah, they have a list of rules hanging out downstairs.”

“… Okay.” Mikasa said and returned her attention to her homework. Luckily this school cared more for test results than assignments than most schools, so it didn’t take as long as she thought it would.

As she stretched her eyes fell on Annie, who was eyeing her while lightly biting her lip. Once she noticed Mikasa looking, she quickly reverted her attention to her sketches.

Mikasa raised an eyebrow, then closed her books and got up from the desk. It was about time for lunch.

When she arrived at the cafeteria she saw all her friends were already there. She quickly joined them, and was informed of Ymir’s plans for a party.

“A friend of mine is visiting today, and he’s bringing some drinks, too much for me. Figured we might as well throw a party while we’re at it. What do you say, Mikasa, you game?”

“I read the rules before I left the dorm, we’re not allowed to have alcohol even in the weekends, though that shouldn’t be much of a surprise.”

“As long as we keep it out of their sight it’s ok.” Ymir grinned.

“Where would we do it? We have to be back in our dorms at ten and we can’t go in yours.” Eren said.

“Good point, boy. Guess this one’s girls only. Not that I mind.” She chuckled.

The boys groaned at the news, while Ymir and Sasha discussed how they would stay out of trouble.

“I have some soda and stuff, I could put that on the table and we keep your drinks hidden, open one bottle at a time. As long as we keep everything inside our room they can’t pick up on anything on the camera.” Sasha said.

“Great, and as far as I know there’s nothing wrong with playing some music and having people come to your room. Or did you find something in the rules?”

“No, there doesn’t seem to be a problem there.” Mikasa answered.

“And just in case they do come up all the way to the fourth floor, we’ll just tell them we’re getting to know each other now we have the time.”

“So Mikasa, are you gonna come?” Sasha asked.

“I’ll take a look.” She said.

She spent most of the day reading, and for once in her life she could not complain about noise at all. Besides the sound of pages turning and the soft scratching of Annie’s pencil it was quiet. Until music started to play at eight o’clock.

A bit later they heard Ymir shout on the hallway. “Party! Room 463! Party!”

Annie dropped her sketchbook. “A party is no party without booze. Idiot.” She muttered.

“Actually she said she’d sneak in some.” Mikasa said, eyes still on her book.

She didn’t look up until she heard Annie jump out of her bed and leaving the room. She decided she’d read enough for one day and joined the migration to Sasha’s and Ymir’s room.

There weren’t many people yet, but considering the size of the room, it was pretty crowded. Mikasa saw her roommate chugging down a cup, Ymir watching her with a smile. By the time she reached them Annie’s cup was already refilled.

“You sure like to drink.” Mikasa commented.

“That’s where parties are for, dumbass.”

“Still a bitch I see.” Mikasa mumbled.

Annie huffed and left after emptying her cup for the second time.

“Guess we already know who’ll be drunk first.” Ymir said. “And what about you, want some?” she raised the bottle questioningly.

“No, I think I’ll play safe this time. I’ll have a soda.”

“Well, in that case just help yourself. Drinks and cups are on the desk.”

More girls came, even from other floors, and a few started dancing in the hallway. After half an hour someone came to check on the situation, calling to those in the hallway to let them pass. Thankfully Sasha used enough air freshener to hide all traces of alcohol while her roommate hid the bottle. After a discussion they were given permission to carry on as long as they promised not to make it a habit and turn off the music at eleven. And they had no choice because there would be another checkup then.

Mikasa mostly watched and listened to the other people. She saw a lot of new faces and watched the number of empty beer bottles under Ymir’s bed grow. Said girl seemed to get more drunk on Krista’s words than on beer, unlike the other people in the room.

By ten o’clock she got tired of being around drunk people and returned to her room. It was a lot quieter once the door shut.

Annie tilted her head to look at her, lying on her bed in a weird position. “Welcome home, beautiful.” She said.

“Er… thanks?” Mikasa said as the blonde tried to stand up.

Annie smiled a little as she walked towards Mikasa. “C’mon, let’s dance, the music is still playing.” She took Mikasa’s hands, pulling her to the middle of the room.

She started dancing slowly, not in sync with the music still blazing in the hallway. Mikasa moved along with her, since she still didn’t let go.

After a few minutes of swaying about in their room, Annie let go of Mikasa’s hands and wrapped her arms around her waist, putting her head on the taller girl’s shoulder.

Mikasa looked at Annie, unsure of what to do. Hesitantly she patted the blonde on her head.

“Hmm… you smell good. Mikasa.” Annie murmured.

“… I think you drank too much.” Mikasa said as she peeled the other girl off of her.

“And you didn’t drink enough. Have some fun, will you.”

“… Annie.”

“Wanna take a shower together?”

“What? No!”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Go by yourself! Now leave me alone.”

“Fine. Geez…”

The blonde made a show out of removing her hoodie, wearing nothing but a bra underneath. When Mikasa looked away she simply danced back into her sight before doing the same with her pants. By the time she disappeared into the bathroom Mikasa’s face was bright red.

“I am never going to drink.” Mikasa said to herself, shaking her head in an attempt to get what she just saw out of her head.

Luckily her roommate went to bed once she left the bathroom, allowing Mikasa to relax as she stepped into the shower.

 

Mikasa had returned from breakfast and was enjoying a game Eren had given her when Annie woke up. She rubbed her eyes as she sat up, her hair messy. She looked around the room, freezing when she met Mikasa’s eyes.

“Please tell me I did not do what I think I did.” the blonde said.

“If you’re thinking you danced with me and tried to get me to shower with you, the answer is yes.” Mikasa said, the memory still vivid in her mind.

Annie buried her face in her hands. “Fuck.”

“If you’re going to regret it, then why do it in the first place?”

“Because I was drunk. And you’re hot.” Those last three words barely loud enough for Mikasa to hear.

“Then why did you run off the moment you knew there were drinks?”

“Because I’m an idiot.” Mikasa raised an eyebrow. “I’m getting breakfast.” Annie quickly put on some clothes, then went for the door. Before she could leave however, Mikasa spoke.

“Do you really think I’m hot?”

Annie paused, hand on the doorknob. Without looking back, she answered. “Do you really want to know?” With that she left, closing the door behind her.

Mikasa frowned. “That was weird.” She returned her attention to the game. She did not look up when Annie returned, and they spent the rest of morning in silence. After lunch they continued their routine training, the competition between them clearing the awkwardness.

It was nearing dinner time, and Mikasa had received a text from Armin that he was helping Eren with his homework. Since she couldn’t join them in their dorm, she read a bit. Her mind was absorbed in the novel, when a hesitant voice reached her ears.

“Mikasa?”

She looked up. “Hm?”

“I was thinking maybe we should work out when we do the cleaning and stuff.” After their pillow fight earlier that week they had cleaned the room, but they hadn’t spoken about it since.

“Yeah. We know they check on Saturday now, so how about we clean on Friday?”

“Sure. Is it okay if you get the mops and stuff? I’m already watering that plant every day, so I guess that’d be even.”

“Fine by me.” She watched Annie fumble with her fingers for a moment, she wasn’t wearing her hoodie, then returned her attention to her book.

“What are you reading?”

“Telmar’s journal. It’s fiction written like a logbook, following Telmar on his travels. He searches for dragons to slay, helping people along the way.”

“Nice.” Annie took her sketchbook and sat down on her bed. “I guess I could try drawing a dragon for a change.”

Mikasa hesitated a moment before speaking. “Can I see your drawings?”

Annie looked up, flustered. “Uh, sure.” She handed Mikasa the sketchbook and watched her nervously.

The first drawings were mostly of plants, then a playground with children. People in a bar, a man driving a car. Next Mikasa saw herself hunched over the desk, working on her homework.

“These are really good.” Mikasa handed her work back, seeing a rare smile forming on the blonde’s lips.

“You don’t mind me drawing you?”

“Not really.” A thought crossed her mind and she laid down on her bed. “Why don’t you draw me like one of your French girls?” she said on a teasing tone.

“Okay.” Annie said down and took her pencil.

“That was a joke.”

“Still gonna do it.” Annie replied.

“Whatever. Your French girl is going to read though.”

Annie hummed, glancing over her sketchbook every now and then.


	7. What is time?

Annie walked slowly through the museum, allowing her eyes to absorb the many details on the paintings. She had been here many times before, but sometimes she discovered something new. She turned a corner, pausing as she saw the next painting. A dog sat in the middle of yellow flowers, looking up at a bird sitting on a thin branch above him. “Aaron.” She whispered. After staring at the painting for a while, she looked at the label below it.

_‘Aaron’ by Alleine Lancaster 1543 – estimated value $ 61.000_

She had made this painting in her second life, as she called it. “For a bean I sold it, now tis worth a fortune. How I wish I got this loaded back in the day for selling it.” She muttered.

“Artists barely ever get recognition for their greatness until long after they’re gone.” A voice spoke. Annie looked to her left to see a beautiful Asian woman look at the painting. Annie returned her gaze to the piece, memories from so long ago flooding her mind. She had been painting her backyard when the bird landed on the branch, Aaron coming to watch it, trampling her flowers as he did so.

When the other woman moved on, Annie followed her, knowing it would be even harder to tear herself away from the painting if she didn’t. The next painting was a portrait, and Annie hummed in response to the woman’s comment on it. “Would you like to have a portrait made of yourself?” Annie asked.

“What?” she said surprised. “Are you an artist looking for a model?”

Annie smiled to herself. It had been quite some time since she last painted, and she seemed to be someone who could appreciate it. “I have not had a model in some time, I should not allow myself to foreswear my brush.”

She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear, looking at Annie curiously. “I don’t know. This is… quite sudden. I don’t even know if you’re a good artist.”

“Your life only lasts so long, who knows you may never have a chance alike this again. I would highly appreciate it you choose to do so.” When she didn’t receive a reaction, Annie gave her a nod and walked on, continuing on to the next painting.

She was about to leave the museum when a call made her look around. “Wait!” it was the woman from before. “I’ll take your offer. I’ll let you make a portrait of me.”

Annie smiled and took a card from her wallet. “My phone number and address are on it, but if you want to get started now,  you can just tag along with me.”

 

 

Annie leaned on her desk, sighing as she stared at the box next to it. She didn’t want to move again, but really, what choice did she have? After so many years packing boxes efficiently had become a routine, and she didn’t have to think much about which object to place in it first. She was soon interrupted by the sound of the doorbell, and went to open the door.

“Mikasa?” she asked, looking at the girl standing before her. She hadn’t expected her to come see her.

“I need to talk to you, Annie.”

“I am fairly busy at the current moment.”

“I’m sure we can talk while you do whatever you’re doing. Can I come in?”

Despite having asked the question, Annie knew she wouldn’t take no for an answer. She let Mikasa step inside and showed her to the living room, gesturing for her to sit down. She crossed her arms as she stood in front of her. “What is on your mind?”

“You have been avoiding me.” Mikasa stated. Annie didn’t respond, there was no point in making excuses or arguing the truth. “We were getting along so well and suddenly you back off, without telling me what or why. I can’t just accept this.”

Annie sighed, she hated goodbyes, for more than one reason. “I cannot stay. Spending more time with you will only make this harder.”

“What? Why can’t you stay?”

Annie shook her head. “Ask not, tis better for you to remain unaware.”

“Annie.” Mikasa stood up. “I won’t leave until you tell me what’s going on.”

“I admire your stalwartness, but this verily is the only way. Prithee do not make this any harder than it has to be.” She averted her gaze, clenching her jaw at the pain in her chest.

Mikasa reached to touch her cheek. “What are you afraid of?”

The tenderness in her voice brought Annie to the verge of tears and she pulled away from the touch. “Leave.” Her voice cracked as she pointed to the door, but she knew this was the only way.

“No. I won’t let you go. Not like this. Whatever it is that scares you so much, I want to face it with you. I’m not leaving.” She paused. “I love you, Annie.”

A tear rolled over her cheek as she replied, “Now you do, but if you witted the truth, you would hate me.”

“I would never hate you, no matter what happened.”

“Do you think I verily have not heard those words before? I cannot begin to count it! So oft have I been told those words, and they mean naught!” Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she remembered the many times her secret was discovered, her stomach churning in response. “I get ill just thinking of it! I cannot go through that again!”

“You talk as if they tried to kill you.” Mikasa said worriedly.

“I wish they could!” Annie shouted, her emotions finally taking over the control of her words. “Over and over, hundreds of times! No one can love me!” she was silenced by Mikasa’s lips on hers, her fear evaporating as Mikasa’s arms reached around her back, pulling her close.

Mikasa pulled back and looked steadily in Annie’s eyes. “I’ll spend the rest of my life proving you wrong, if that is what it takes. I love you. I’ll keep saying it until you believe me. I love you. I love you. I love you…”

 Annie rested her head on her shoulder and wrapped her arms around her, crying while Mikasa kept repeating those three words. Once she calmed down enough, they sat down on the carpet. Mikasa ran her fingers through Annie’s hair while the shorter girl cleaned her face up with her handkerchief.

“I am sorry.” Annie said. “I really do want to believe you. But it matters not. I cannot stay.”

“Why? Running away won’t make things better.”

“I prefer to leave alike this. The longer I stay, the greater the chance you will discover. Methinks I cannot handle going through that once more. Not with you.”

“Annie.” Mikasa cupped her cheeks, gently forcing her to lock eyes. “Sometimes the one thing we fear most, is the one thing that sets us free.”

Annie huffed. “Using my own words against me, I see.” She closed her eyes for a moment and stood up, walking over to her desk. Mikasa followed her, frowning as she began to put more things in the box. “You are a clever woman. Perchance you may find out anyway, despite the short amount of time we have spent together. I cannot risk that.”

Mikasa sighed. “If you really don’t see this going any other way, I won’t stop you. But I don’t think I can move on if I don’t know why. You say I might find out anyway, so just… just give me a hint. Something I can work with.”

Annie cursed herself as she felt herself give in. “Are vampire tales not popular among the kids these days?” she cringed as she remembered the last time she made a vampire reference, and opened a drawer, adding its contents to the box.

“Vampires? That doesn’t even make any sense.” Mikasa said.

Annie said nothing, continuing to empty the drawers. When she saw an old bottle of scotch, she contemplated on whether or not to take it with her. She placed it on top of the desk, she could always decide later. She closed the box and turned to Mikasa, who stared at the bottle with a frown. Annie was about to ask her to leave, when her dark eyes shifted their gaze to her and widened.

Annie froze, panicking. No, she couldn’t possibly have found out so soon. Mikasa tilted her head, frowning again. “Are you…? But that doesn’t make any sense.” Her frown deepened, and she reached out to touch Annie’s wrist. Her expression held nothing but pure confusion as she asked, “Are you a vampire?”

Annie shook her head, muttering to quiet for Mikasa to hear, “At least that would make sense.”

Mikasa continued to stare at her, mouth open as she searched for words. “How old are you?”

Annie pulled her wrist free, taking a few steps back and balling her fists. “Leave. Now.” Her body shivered in anticipation of what she knew would come. _Please not again_ , she begged internally.

Mikasa didn’t move, eyes darting over the many paintings on the wall. The one that held her attention pictured a crowd with torches looking at the center of the canvas with creepy smiles, flames obscuring the bottom side of the painting. Mikasa looked back to Annie, eyes filled with horror.

“They burned you at the stake for being a witch?” Annie took another step back, making herself smaller. “Oh, Annie.” She stepped forward, catching Annie in an embrace before she could bolt, holding her tight.

“You… you are not going to kill me?” Annie asked, surprised by the act.

“Of course not!” Mikasa cupped Annie’s cheeks, wiping fresh tears away with her thumbs. “I love you. No matter what happens, I always will. So please, Annie, stay with me.”

Annie stared at her, seeing the honesty in her eyes. It took several minutes before the fact that she wasn’t going to be murdered again sunk in. “I…” she stammered, “I do not wit what to do. This never occurred before.”

Mikasa smiled softly. “I never expected to meet someone who’s immortal. I’m willing to see where this leads. Are you?”

Annie nodded numbly, and Mikasa pulled her into another hug. She held her until Annie slumped in her arms, falling asleep from exhaustion.

 

 

_Annice Leonard 1514._


End file.
